Thelma Gives Us A Queer, Supernatural-Thriller!
Inspired by Carrie, Repressed Homosexuality, & Women's Liberation
If you follow some of my work on Instinct, it will come as no surprise to you that I am all about the Horror genre. While diving into the great LGBTQ Horror characters, I found myself coming up short on options. There aren't many to choose from, but when there apparent LGBTQ representation, we usually have quite the impact on the film's overall plot. It's been a long time coming that we've deserved an LGBTQ supernatural-thriller. With foreign film, Thelma, we get just that!
According to Vice, Thelma follows a religious, college student who falls in love with a girl and begins experiencing supernatural powers due to her trying to repress her feelings. So, the film is basically taking Eleven from Stranger Things and making her an closeted adult, who then starts acting a hot mess with her powers!? Count me in!
The trailer gives us more than a tease. We see a cute, young woman experiencing a seizure – as birds fly at a classroom window – after seeing another equally cute, young woman. Our titular character, Thelma, is eventually shown being examined by doctors as she floats. Que a handful of cutaways with some horror and backstory. Oh, and of course Thelma gets felt up by her lady-friend during a stage performance. Her arousal begins to cause what looks like the stage falling a part, potentially leading to a body count in the thriller. How can I forget Thelma's parents claiming that there is nothing they can do to help their daughter. Maybe she cannot be fixed. Hmm, sound familiar!? I share a similar experience coming from an Irish-Catholic background; I relate to you, Thelma! Can't we all?!
Vice got some official scoop on the film from writer, Eskil Vogt, and director, Joachim Trier. I have not heard of these gentlemen previously, but damn it if I'm not already sold on watching this movie anyway I can! They appear to have done their research:
"[Carrie is the inspiration behind the film.] It’s the classic in the coming-of-age genre. Some people have also mentioned The Omen, lesbian vampire stories, and The Hunger. Since we’re fans of these films, we hope we’re respectfully riffing off the tradition. We wanted to make a story of empowerment and liberation for a woman—I think that’s where we do something slightly different."
"Out of research into epilepsy and the backgrounds people have when they experience the kinds of seizures known as “psychogenic epileptic seizures.” I talked to one of Norway's leading experts in the field, and he asked me, "Is your character a lesbian?” “No, why do you ask?” “Because a lot of these young women or men that come into my office experiencing these kinds of seizures are from strictly religious backgrounds, and they’re homosexual. They have these seizures because of suppressed emotions.”
Check out the trailer for Thelma below!
